1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing lengths of absorbent material from a roll or stack of absorbent material such as paper towels, toilet paper or other wiping materials.
2. Description of Related Art
In conventional sheet dispensing apparatus, material from a supply roll or stack of absorbent material is incrementally dispensed through a dispensing opening in a housing. In some dispensers, the sheets may pass between a drive roller and a pinch roller, while still connected to the supply roll and then are dispensed through the dispensing opening. A cutting device may be at the dispensing opening to separate the lengths of material from the supply roll upon dispensing.
A problem with conventional devices is that the material may become jammed in the nip area between the drive roller and the pinch roller. This requires the device to be serviced to remove the jam before the dispenser can properly continue dispensing material.
Several attempts have been made to solve the above-noted problem including a recent attempt shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,994,408 to Brunnel. The device of Brunnel is complicated in that it requires not only a specialized pinch roller, but a specialized housing as well.